Spectrum of the Sky
by Koriember
Summary: My name is Cantabile. I am a 15 year old Blue macaw that has just made a new friend. And this, wait come back! Well that WAS Syn, A 15 year old Scarlet macaw that is now my new friend! Did I mention that my siblings want to kill him? Oh, that's my fault. Sorry Syn! By the way, I'm kind of orchestrating a plan for us to become a family, but... He's going to leave. And... I'm dying.
1. Option

_Option_

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><p><strong><em>Red is often depicted as the nemesis of Blue. Why? Because despite being inches apart on the rainbow, they are different in so many ways. Each color has its' personality, its' associations. Red and Blue, Scarlet and Cerulean, that's how this all started.<em>**

* * *

><p>If someone was standing by a certain doorway in a certain Sanctuary in the certain city of Rio, the certain someone would have to be fluent in a certain type of macaw dialect to understand a soft conversation that was taking place. Unfortunately, the voices present were not distinguishable, making it sounds like one macaw squawking constantly.<p>

In fact, there were two blue macaws, Spix's to be precise, that were conversing. One of them, healthy, was a tad older than her partner. Said macaw was feeling aces and eights, and basically coughing every other phrase. Legato and Cantabile were the names of the two birds. Legato was a strong eighteen year old, well versed in the language of her generation. Canta on the other hand, was illiterate and mute when it came to public sociality. She had spent the near entirety of her life in sickness, and the last few weeks had witnessed a downhill trot for the fifteen year old.

Cantabile never complained, it was her nature to proclaim that it was no one's fault that she suffered day in and day out. She took every cough, every injection, every surgery, with courage. Courage, that one day, she would get better, that she would be stronger than any disease genetics had to throw at her, and that she could show that she was better than fate.

Until then, she was confined to her medical cot in the Sanctuary, accompanied by her sister.

"Shame, that the short straw had to be mine, even though it was the only one left."

"Hey, I'm sorry that it had to be you sis. Just don't forget that the whole family cares, even Al."

"Even Al?"

"Even Al."

"That's cool..."

"Yep, now c'mon, Tulio's comin' around and you'll get..."

"Of course, Legato, I know."

"You'll do fine, Canta... I'm certain you're getting better, you know?"

"Legato, why'd it have to be me?"

"What do you mean sis?"

"Why do I have to be sick all the time, *cough* while you get all the freedom and *cough* and *cough*-"

"Shh, Canta, you'll be okay, just shh..."

"I *sniff* I just want to..."

"It's okay, it's okay..."

"It hurts Lea, I don't want to move, but it hurts... *cough*" Lea was a coy nickname for Legato, coined by young Cantabile when she couldn't pronounce words right. That was when she wasn't sick.

"I promise I'll watch you. Heck, I'll take time off from the store. I'll promise you-"

"No, *cough* you gotta do what you do sis. Don't bother *cough* wasting *cough* -im on *cough* -e..."

"Lie down, Canta."

"Piano, *cough*-at you?"

"Shh, we're here, all of us." Footsteps. 4 more macaws entered, all with the same look of despair on their faces.

"Al, gee I never knew yo- *cough*"

"We care sis. We care. I care."

"Where's Dad and Mom?"

"Right here. Don't worry, Tulio's gonna be here soon..."

Three days ago, Cantabile had burst into bloody coughing, iron enriched phlegm hurling out of her beak and onto the wall. Of course, this naturally brought her parents into a fit of worrying and anger. Guilt was evident in everyone's faces. Forte and Semplice made sure to stay by her sister's side while Tulio monitered the bird's symptoms. Piano made thoughtful gifts, ones that brought emotional support along with physical aid to little Canta.

Allegro and Legato were the only ones not to be as strong a catalyst to Canta's recovery. Despite the fact that Legato had shared a few moments here and there with her youngest sibling, she spent most of her fraternal hours with the more mature side of Rio, being a tender for a club by night, and helping her parents at Linda's bookstore by day. The night before, she had a certain run-in. Just yesterday, she had a run in with a couple Scarlet Macaws, mainly a group her brother, Allegro, was not very found of.

At a general perspective, three groups of birds populated Rio; there were the Ceruleans, formerly Hyacinth-now-with-Spix blue birds that basically cared a lot for the Blu family, as they were fairly new members to the jungle scene.

On the other side of the prism, the Scarls, red birds of any shade focused on the wellfare of themselves. Most of them were orphans or abused chicks, and the thought of a family, along with the heartbreaking realization that no one cared for them, severely hampered the mental ability to care. To them, the Ceruleans were just snobs that concerned themselves to get the best out of life, even if it was taking it out of the Scarls' claws.

The last group, everyone else, simply did not care, know, or believe, that the former two factions existed. To everyone else, they were just circles of friends that would sometimes turn into a Venn diagram and the unfortunate ones to be caught in the middle spent a couple weeks at the Sanctuary.

This is the world little Canta grew up in; Legato would tell slightly-bent stories of the Scarls making fun of her illness and the rest of the flaws her family had. She believed them. Why people hated her, when she didn't know them or vice versa, intrigued her to frustation, and kept her awake days at a time.

She would talk to her father, Blu, about this sometimes, and he was always tell her that some stories weren't true. The Scarls, he described, were people just as broken as her. He even had the definition to convey them 'less fortunate' than her. She believed this too. She had the emotional backing of a strong family, they had nothing. Not even as much as a corpse to snuggle with at night. They grew up cold and empty, hating the world. Hating her, because someone loved her. A lot of birds loved her.

Right now though, she devoted her mental effort to her physical health, at the same time gurgling her own bile and blood while gasping out words.

"Daddy, why was it me?"

"Why what? You?"

"You know Dad; Why I'm always *sniff* so sick with this stupid *cough*"

"Well you see Cantabile, the genetic makeup combin-" *Smack*

"What your father means to say, Canta, is that you... Well, things like this happen to everyone."

"That's what *cough* they all *cough* say..."

"Blu, say something! You know I'm bad with this stuff." Whispers of frustration, with no vent out. It was only transferred to Blu.

"Cantabile, you want me to stay with you?"

"I'd love that Daddy, but I just really want to be free..."

"Canta, freedom isn't getting what you want, but-"

"-Gettin' by *cough* with what you have."

"That's my little girl. I'm so proud..."

"Proud of what? That I've been rotting inside half my life? I can't move without shattering my wings and-"

"Shh, calm down... Tulio's here, and you'll be better."

"Better for a day, worse tommoro- *cough cough*"

"Shh..." A slight tingle in her wing, then spreading.

"Daddy?"

"The sedative takes effect in thirty seconds, be quick."

"I don't want to die..."

"I know, sweetie. Shh..."

"...You guys have it great... I haven't lived yet! *cough cough*

"Careful! She's going to suffocate herself!" Tulio layed out his surgical instruments, each one devoted to the purpose of cutting, serrating, extracting, but eventually, healing.

"I've always wanted to pick a fruit offa tree... To... fly over Rio... Swim in the river by our home... To get... *cough* a boyfriend... A family, *cough cough* I want to live..."

"She's down..."

"Tulio, please heal my daughter. I know you can't understand my words, but I hope you understand this pain."

"Blu, you're crying."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Well-"

"Our little baby is falling apart by the inside and outside and all we can do is shut her up and-"

"She'll be okay!"

"She'll never be okay! It's our fault the genetics didn't wor-"

"Blu!"

"Kids, let's go. Canta needs her space during the operation."

"Don't you even care about our baby Jewel?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course I do! I'm trying my hardest not to-"

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Because..."

"Fine, leave. And tell her that you care so little you're going to leave her during another operation."

"You're an idiot, Blu. You dwell on the past so much you don't even see it's getting better."

"Idiot? At least I'm not some pitiful, ignorant, heartless wretch like you, Jewel!"

"Pff, your eloquence won't do you any good, pet. Not even Canta w-"

"Don't you dare talk about MY daughter with your tone."

"C'mon, Mom, let's go."

"Fine... Listen Blu... I'm sor-"

"GO!"

Another fight, Cantabile would have depicted, had she been conscious.

And it was her fault.

* * *

><p>Two younger surgeons and an elderly one heading the operation stared vacantly at the macaw on the bed. It was quite a mess, all the tubes and incision they had made in Canta over the weeks had taken a toll on the macaws physique. She was still a beautiful specimen, as Tulio would say, but she wasn't feeling as fabulous as she used to.<p>

"Doc, we got some internal bleeding again on her left shoulder," The assistant surgeon stated, stitching up the sedated bird.

"Again! Meu Deus this bird is a trooper for not showing signs of fatigue yet. How about her liver?" Tulio, the elder, thoughtfully scratched the grey stubble underneath his mask, hoping for answers to appear on his board.

"Hmm, Dr. Fernando, what does it read?" The youngest surgeon, barely in his mid-twenties, leaned over to read the machines.

"Well, her internals are reading extremely high sodium levels, due to her innability for her to process salt. Her heart rate is dangerously low, and the efficiency isn't fantastic either. It's operating at about 59 percent, doc."

"Aye-yay-yay, what's wrong with this bird," Tulio asked, frustrated with the results.

"Calm down Dad, she's getting better." Tulio nodded, agreeing with his foster son. However, he doubted Canta would believe it, and it troubled him seeing the rare bird suffering day after day with little help to her.

"Get her off the IV, and stitch up the shoulder."

"We're not doing anything else?" Fernando questioned, raising his brow underneath his medical glasses.

"Unless you want to strain her intestines and hopefully put her back together, no."

"Yes dad," the assistant doctor, Fernando, replied. Like father like son, he mused, sighing at the job he had. He liked birds, but stitching them up together wasn't very admirable or attractive.

"She'll be awake in about thirty minutes. Make sure she's not in too much discomfort," Fernando instructed, leaving her to the assistant surgeon.

"Get well soon, kid."

It wasn't his fault that the bird had to be this ill, but Fernando and Tulio still felt guilty that the Blu family had to live like this. One of their own, one leg in her grave and the other on a crutch that was on a banana peel.

* * *

><p>Blu's ears perked at a strange sound, down the hallway.<p>

Pitpatpitpatpitpatpitpat. Still closing his bloodshot eyes, he suddenly felt a rush of slimy wetness cover his wing, and he yelped in shock. A puppy, golden retriever. He was too tired to tell whether it was male or female, but it didn't matter. It chewed his wing lightly, to which he yelped to.

"Whoa, what are you doing here?" The pup whimpered, not understanding Blu's dialogue.

"No no, it's okay. You can stay here," Blu assured, keeping his tone gentle, easing the dog towards him.

"Dominick," Blu mused, scratching under the collar and nametag, causing Dominick's leg to start twitching. Blu found this utterly adorable and lay down against it, still tired.

"I've liked dogs since I was a kid, 'cept none of the dogs in Minnesota never liked me very much. Perhaps because I was a chicken leg and all..." The dog seemed to be laughing, or burping, whichever sounded closer.

"You know, little Canta needs a friend, you think you can take care of her while we can't?" The dog tilted its head in confusement, and Blu chuckled a little.

"Cantabile, our little beautiful baby. She's being operated on as we speak, and it's my fault." The puppy nuzzled against Blu, whimpring.

"I told her before her first operation, 'What doesn't kill you-'"

"Will only make you stronger," Cantabile finished, peeking out of the door. Eyeing the puppy strangely, and even moreso the fact that Blu had been nuzzling with it like a pillow perked her interest.

"Canta! You should be inside, resting!"

"Can't sleep Dad..."

"How's your mouth?"

"Everything's so salty," She stuck her tongue out in disgust, giggling as she did so. "But, I am feeling much better! Still weak, but I don't hurt!"

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that!" Blu exclaimed, hugging her daughter, who hugged him back. Dominick stared at them, panting.

"And who's he?" Canta asked, smiling at the strange dog. Tulio appeared at the hallway, and as if on que, answered their question.

"Ah, you found Lee's puppy! Very friendly creature, especially 'round the birds! Quite a rare trait for a mammal like him. C'mere boy!" Tulio called the pup over, who bounded adorkably, and a bit awkwardly, towards the ornithologist. It jumped on him and licked his feet, causing Tulio to laugh.

"Who's Lee?" Cantabile asked, giggling at the cute scene.

"Lee is Fernando's baby daughter," Blu explained, gesturing towards the retriever.

"Oh, he has a family as well?" Canta asked, slightly reminescing again the thought of having a family.

"Uh-huh, she was born a few months ago, but she loves Dominick."

"I can see why! He's such a strangely nice dog!" Canta remarked, limping over to the puppy, petting it behind the ear. Tulio noticed her and picked her up slowly, to which she didn't protest.

"You, little bird, are the most enduring, strong, and internally stubborn creature on earth," Tulio laughed, carrying Canta over to the sink. Opening up the fridge, he took out a cup of liquid, slightly tinted blue, and gave it to her.

"You'll be needing this, Cantabile," Tulio explained, "To balance out the sodium levels in your body. You might flash dehydrate without it, and we don't want that!" Canta reluctantly nodded, waddling over to the cup.

"What is it, Daddy?" She asked, cautiosly swirling around in the cup.

"Not sure," Blu admitted, "Looks like some medicine."

"Medicine?" She groaned, "Great, a cup full of junk I have to drink. Tell me, why does it always taste so... Bleugh?" Blu chuckled and flew over to her, Dominick in wake.

"I'm sure it doesn't taste that bad..." He dipped his claw in the mixture and licked the tip, smacking his tongue for a few seconds, pondering the flavor.

"Strange, doesn't taste bad, actually, it's pretty sweet." Canta smiled and picked up the cup, and gulped it down, immidiately regretting it.

"DAD! YOU LIAR EWW IT'S SO BITTER EWW..." Blu fell over laughing, clutching his sides insanely.

"Oh my- Haha, I'm sorry Canta, but I learned that technique from Linda back when I was a kid and I had to take my medicine. Pretty clever, eh? To be honest, I've always wanted to do it on someone!"

"I'm not falling for it again," Canta huffed, childishly crossing her wings and sitting down. Tulio watched the whole display with humor, chuckling slightly at the female when she foolishly downed the foul-tasting liquid.

"Well, hehe that's one way to take your medicine. Clever trick, Blu," The doctor mused, administering water into the cup Canta just drank out of.

"This better not be some more medicine," Cantabile warned, dipping a wingtip in there and tasting it. "Water."

"You'll need to wash out your body," Tulio explained, "So drink plenty of water to rid the waste out."

"What does that mean Daddy?" Cantabile asked, not understanding.

"What he means," Blu chuckled, "Is that you'll have a very salty dump."

"Eww Dad!" Canta winced, sticking her tongue out at Blu and huffing.

"Sorry," Blu excused, smiling at his daughter.

"Say, where's Mom and Legato and everyone else?" Blu's shoulders slumped sadly, but recovered.

"They, um, went to the beach, to get their minds off ya for a few hours, you know? I suppose it stresses them out a lot that you have to get so much medical attention." Canta shook her head, putting her wings on her hips.

"It's not like them to miss me. YOU're the one that usually worries a bunch. You guys had a fight again, didn't you." Like mother like daughter, Blu mused. His youngest had a knack for finding the truth, and she used that gift well.

"Fine... We kinda got into a fight, Mom and I... They said..."

"They said what Dad?" Blu teared up, shaking it off quickly.

"They said I didn't care! About you, I mean, yah. Well let me tell you Canta, that I care for you even more than you do, and I want you to be happy so much because I love you because you're my daughter! I mean, they didn't exactly say that, but I could tell we were about to get there. That's why she left!" Canta was touched; Blu never broke down about her before. Sure, she was the diseased daughter, but Blu usually hid his emotions behind a stone wall.

"I love you too Daddy," Canta smiled, hugging her father tightly. "But I think you should get some sleep. You look like a mess and I doubt even Tulio's magic can white your eyes more'n sleep will do for you."

"I suppose so. Tell the family I said sorry, okay? I'll be at home." Blu flew off, smiling at his daughter's will. Of all the people that would've been depressed at her condition, she had a smile that could make the sun that much brighter.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Syn, that you?"<p>

"Why the hell am I stuck in here?

Two Scarlet Macaws, both nearly adults, stood facing eachother, with nothing but the Sanctuary window blocking them. It was sunset, and the sun was setting fast. Night was close to an hour away, but that didn't stop the outsider from visiting the patient.

"You don't remember a thing from yesterday?"

"Uh, no, why?" Syn questioned, rubbing his head. He then noticed his left wing was in a sling. Groaning, the memories came back like a boomerang, and with the force of a train. His wing coincidently started to ache, while his head rang like a bell.

"You apparently picked a fight with the wrong bird. You were at the club, tyring to pick up chicks, when this blue bird, I think you stepped on her or something, got mad and knocked you silly." Syn groaned and fell prone, writhing in his pain. His companion could only watch in caution.

"And broke my wing, and gave me a huge headache, dangit stupid Ceruleans... Besides, I wasn't hittin' on anyone. I was just there cause the rest of the Scarls were." Syn hated Ceruleans with a passion. Ever since he was little, it was the Hyacinths that always made fun of him. He had been lead to the fact that the new Spix's in town were no different, and so far, they weren't. One of them led a little gang of blue birds, whom he jokingly called 'Twitter' and soonafter got smothered by the entirety of his posse. The Scarls, basically his only friends, was a little 'luau' of Scarlet and other red macaws, and unvoluntarily served as the 'enemies' of the Ceruleans. At first it was just a friendly rival, but after one of Legato's first dates, a scarlet named Cres, treated her a bit roughly, the whole 'gang war' thing turned into a rough rivalry. Syn was stuck in the middle of it, which made things only worse. He never actually hated the blues until now, now that he had the Blu family on his tail for something he accidently did.

"Always is the blue birds ain't it," Syn's friend pondered, to which Syn could only nod. "You better run before the girl comes back for seconds."

"I don't feel in the mood for escaping this time. I've had it with getting beat up..." His friend shook his head, gesturing towards the sunset.

"Blues don't know that. They'll rough you up every chance they get." Syn sighed, pacing in his cage.

"I'll stay here for now, you mind telling me what's going on?" The other macaw started to pace, ticking off events with his primaries while staring at the ground.

"Well, us Scarls could try to straight things out, but you know how that went last time..."

"I got knocked out and shoved into a tree upside down."

"Yep." Two chuckles were heard, but Syn got to business.

"So, what did I miss?" Syn asked, staring to space as if to find his home. Which obviously, was fantasy. He was an orphan, but no one knew that but him and his amigo. No crutch to lean on meant a softer fall.

"Just today, news is spreading that the Blu family got into a fight. One of the Scarls overheard the Mom and their five kids fighting with the boss."

"That's not good, what happened?"

"Well, the honcho can't be found, and the family don't seem too worried. Real broken family, it is." Syn shook his head.

"That's not the half of it," Syn added, "They have a sixth daughter, in this very building!"

"The sickly one?" His friend asked. "Yah I know a thing or to about her."

"What I heard, is that they have this lunatic locked up here, shedding and bleeding and drying up and cracking- egh... Gives me shivers thinkin' bout it." Syn wriggled a little for emphasis, turning as if the horror was to be beheld behind him.

"She that scary? Funny, all them Ceruleans seem to be off in one way or another, ya kkkkh-" The pat of six birds were heard behind, and claws apparated around his neck.

"Who we talkin' bout now, punk?" Allegro hissed, claws wrapped around Syn's friend.

"Ach, no one important," He attempted, to which the rest of the family sighed.

"Al, off him." Legato, Syn remembered. The one he stepped on. She turned to him.

"So, kid, you learned your lesson?" She spoke straight to Syn, disregarding the window and staring him eye-to-eye.

"Uh, not to step on you? Trust me, that was an accident, my fault entirely," Syn mustered, barely supressing his fear.

"Yep. You do that a'in and I'ma break offa your legs. Be lucky you Scarls weren't trying to hit on me like you did yesterday or you can consider yourself toast."

"Whoa, just cause I'm scarlet don't mean I have some'in against your family," Syn's friend wheezed, Al still loosely grabbing him. Jewel walked up to him, gesturing for Allegro to get off.

"I don't care what you do to yourselves, but you try assaulting my daughter, and you got all six of us to worry about." The naiive bird laughed, backing away timidly.

"Wa'n't number used to be se'en? Or even eight? Word's spreading that you and your family are getting into some feuds. Not to pry, but you should be worryin bout' those first before you bust some Scarls." Exaggerating his fake accent, he punctuated his insults with sweeping wings and a high-held head.

"Cres, don't push your luck," Allegro threatened.

"Just givin' some advice is'all," Cres replied, flying off before more harm would be done to him.

"If I din't know that chump better, I woulda flew off after him and grilled him," Forte thought aloud.

"Now for you," Allegro gestured to Syn, who smiled timidly.

"You mock my family one more time, and I swear it won't be the Sanctuary you'll be visiting next."

"Okay, listen, all you Ceruls... I don't want trouble with you! A'ight I'm bad enough as it is, but you guys are giving me all this bait to reel in, and it's nasty stuff. I wasn't even making fun of you!"

"Excuses," Legato mused. "Be lucky we're not here for you."

"Oh, am I just not bad enough for my Scarl title? What evil deed must I commit, now?" Syn hissed through cage bars. He mentally cursed himself for letting his anger slip through sarcasm, and he was definitely going to pay.

"That's it, kid. You're dead the second we get in!" Legato yelled, to which everyone else nodded. Well, except for Jewel.

"Listen, all of you. You can resolve this once he's healed, but for now, we're just going to visit Cantabile and apologize to Blu, all right? And Allegro, you might just be taking this 'gang' thing too far..."

"Awh, what?" Allegro whined, dropping his fists.

"You heard me. We're going to visit your sister and make sure she's all right. As for you..." Syn gulped. "Consider this your head start."

* * *

><p>"Well, thanks guys," Canta replied lightly, smiling warmly to her siblings, "But Daddie's not here! He's home, sleeping. And if I were you... I'd apologize."<p>

"I suppose so," Jewel admitted, "We were being very harsh on him. He loves you a lot, as do we..."

"I know Mom," Canta grinned, sipping water. Dominick was lying down as her backrest, and he snored lightly.

"Stay strong Canta," Piano muttered, hugging his sister.

"Of course, you know this is only temporary," She assured. Semplice laid a wing on her shoulder, encouraging her sickly sister.

"You know that more than any of us. We'll try to be more faithful in you next time," She promised.

"Don't hurt yourself; We don't need another macaw in this hospital," Canta joked.

"Well, see you tonight," Jewel finished, flying off along with her children. Tulio watched the six birds fly, and sighed at the last one still on the ground. Picking her up gently, she led her to the aviary, remodeled since Jewel's days, and let her free there.

"All by my lonesome," Canta sighed, "Solitary confinement sucks." Trying to kill time, she just walked around, exploring the place. She'd been in there many times before, during previous operations. She whispered a tune, which slowly increased to her saying bits of the song, but each note perfectly on tune.

"So I'll tell myself that I'll be strong," She phrased, bobbing her head back and forth as she giggled to her singing. "And dreaming when they're gone-"

_CLANK _"OWWW!" A male voice whimpered, causing the ice blue macaw to stand up again. Strangers weren't allowed inside, so this must of been a trespasser or something. Either that, or an escapee.

"Stupid grill. They should've at least screwed it on after attaching it..." Syn groaned, picking himself off the ground with his good wing. "And my ankle..." His leg was showing signs of a little too much stress, and he winced at the pressure he applied to it. Turning his attention back to his surroundings, he didn't recognize the place he was in. "Hmm."

"Now where am I, this doesn't look that much like the jungle to me..." He wandered, until he found an ice blue feather on the ground. Canta's breathing slowed as she saw the intrudor. Scarlet Macaw, one wing slung, the other healthy. Both were tipped with purple, and so was his tail. His head feathers resembled that of Blu, messily standing up but erect on their own accord. He was a Scarl, to be talking like that.

"Stupid ventilation shaft... They don't even screw the floor shut and now I'm stuck here... Anyone here? Hey-lo! What the heck is this place anyway?" Syn asked hopefully, desperate to find a way out. Canta watched with curiosity as the stranger turned over rocks as if to find the owner to those blue feathers. Said feathers were now standing on end, if such fear could be depicted in that manner. She kicked a rock to the artificial river, creating an audible splash. Perhaps that was to draw him in another direction, but more associated with random fear spasms.

"Holy cr-!" Syn let out a girly scream, hugging himself and cowering into a bush. More like diving, if his slow speed could be accepted.

"Who are you?" Canta called out, hiding behind a rock. Syn stood still, expecting someone or something to appear.

"Cerulean," He figured out. Female voice, beautiful at that, but still female. That coupled with the blue feathers meant that he was in the custody of the 'demon child,' Cantabile. She stepped out, peeking for the scarlet.

"Hello," Canta whimpered timidly, taking a step back. She was amazingly cute, sure, but with the wraps on her wings and missing feathers some places, she looked conatagious, if such a thing could be appeared as. He took more steps back, turning so that his broken wing was blocked by his body.

"Hi," Syn timidly spat out, trying to remain as confident as possible.

'Just find an exit, and your set. Don't piss her off, and her family won't kill you either. Maybe.'

"May I ask what you are doing in my place? Are you a Scarl?"

"Just trying to escape this place is all, And hey, don't associate me with them." Syn replied, backing up to a disrespectful level.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, why are you runnin' away?" Canta fumed as Syn broke and hobbled away, huffing and puffing and awkwardly skipping with his hurt claw and slung wing.

"I've had it with you Ceruls trying to beat me up! Get away!" Canta couldn't help but smile at the comic display of cowardice, and she followed him at a slow pace.

"Ceruls? You mean the little club my big brother bands up?"

"You ARE a part of it, right? Your whole family seems to be involved..."

"Look at me. Do I look like I can be part of anything?" Syn took a coy glance to her, seeing how hurt she was and all the stitches and bandages that were on her. Both eyes were pretty bloodshot and she walked with a limp. Not to mention that her primaries were a bit on the unhealthy side and that her shoulder was stitched.

"I don't want to be rude, but-"

"I know, I know. Now, what do you need?" Canta asked, trying her best to appear polite.

"Just a way out," Syn replied, smiling slightly.

"Oh? In that case, I suppose Tulio can open up the door for you. Say, what happened to your wing?"

"Eh, your sister broke it." Canta looked shocked, not really believing Syn's words.

"Semplice wouldn't do-"

"Legato," Syn interrupted. Cantabile lit up, the circumstances dawning on her. So, he was a Scarl.

"Oh, you were flirting with her," Cantabile chuckled.

"Actually, I stepped on her tail on accident and she was mad from someone else so..."

"I doubt you'll be able to do anything with that wing of yours. It'll be for your own good you stay inside the building." Syn shook his head wildly.

"No, you don't understand, I really need to go!"

"Go where?"

"Anywhere! Your family is going to kill me once I'm healed! I need to go, now!" Cantabile frowned, not agreeing with his decision.

"Listen, I don't know you and what you've done that's got my family mad at you, but I'll tell you this: With that busted wing of yours, they will find you easy and make sure you stay in this sanctuary for good. You gotta stay inside where you're protected." However, at that moment, Tulio opened the door to the aviary and brought in the rest of their family, who called for her.

"Agh! Don't tell them I'm here!" Syn scrambled for a tree, hiding in the branches. Canta could only sigh in confusement. Her family was strange, she thought, to have anger at this cowardly bird.

"Hey Canta! You feelin' better?" Legato asked, hugging her sister tightly.

"Uh, haha, 100 percent here!" Returning the hug, she stole a glance at Syn, well hidden in the leaves above. His eyes were closed, because all of his effort was to slow his scared breathing.

"What's this?" Allegro asked, gesturing to the fallen ventilation shaft panel on the ground.

"Oh, something must've fallen," Canta quickly covered, stealing another glance at Syn.

"There's a lot of red feathers on the ground..."

"Someone must've been here before me," Allegro bought this, and Syn nodded in relief. Blu however had a sense that something was wrong.

"Canta, you seem a bit... Uncomfortable."

"Of course, Dad, I'm sick! *cough* see?"

"Canta, what's wrong?" Legato asked, seeing discomfort in her eyes.

"Tulio found a bird this evening, a scarlet macaw. Someone snapped his wing, and he seems to be intimidated by us." Syn gulped silently, regretting conversing with this bird. Slowly, and very quietly, he snuck towards the open exit.

"Broke his wing, you say?" Legato smirked.

"He referred to me as Cerulean." Allegro chuckled.

"I think I know this bird. Where is he?"

"W-wait, why do you need to see him?" She didn't think they would actually go after him.

"We have some business to settle." Allegro nodded with Legato, smiling mischieviously.

"You guys sound like dang muggers! What's wrong with you?" Canta asked, horrified. Piano nodded slightly, agreeing with Canta's less-than-agressive motives.

"I agree," Semplice frowned, "He's just scared of you guys. Nothing wrong with him, besides the Scarls messing up his mind."

Syn heard enough; he ran out of the aviary, not caring how much noise he made. Beelining towards the medical room, he grunted in pain as he was tackled by Forte, who didn't mind crushing his broken wing to keep him there.

"Dang you're fast," He cursed through grated beak.

"Tell me this, Syn," Allegro asked, stepping up to him along with the rest of everyone. Canta looked at her siblings in disgust.

"Get off him! He hasn't done anything wrong!" Semplice ordered. Allegro chuckled and eased off him. But still staring him in the eyes, he asked one simple question.

"So, what did you tell my sister?"

* * *

><p>Author's Notes<p>

* * *

><p>Well, first off, I actually had some challenging fun writing this. Seems like Blu and Jewel's children are musical allegories, so I decided that my OC's are going to be the same. First off will be Syn, which I derived from the term Syncopation, which is basically an off-beat interruption or disturbance.<p>

Syn is very cowardly towards the Ceruleans, but is slightly less nervous towards Canta, Semplice, and Piano, as they don't pursue and hate him as much. He doesn't exactly associate with the hateful Scarls, but hangs with them because of his color. He also likes Blu, due to his unhateful personality and random intelligence. I named him Syn not just because he's a little off, but that it's an homophone of Sin, which he tends to do.

Obviously the main CJ OC I'll be using for my story will be Cantabile, whom I will nickname Canta. She pities Syn because not only is he is an orphan, but half her family relentlessly hates him. They talk in the Sanctuary when no one's around, but also is very close to Dominick, Fernando's dog. Since CJ obviously centered the characters around music, I suppose some chapters will have some singing. (Not song fics. I learned not to do that in CTB.)

I hope for this Contest to be fun! Good luck to the authors participating!

* * *

><p>UPDATE V.1<p>

* * *

><p>After several reviews, I read this story again and decided that it was indeed very unclear. I added some story to it and tried to make Syn a bit less Gary Stue and more COWARD.<p>

* * *

><p>UPDATE V.2<p>

* * *

><p>After more reviews, I changed Legato and Forte slightly to be less antagonistic, and also keeping Legato's club life more secretive and drawing a line where the siblings agree on certain issues.<p>

For clarifiation, Legato, Allegro, and Forte, the three older siblings, will have a less compassionate heart as opposed to Piano, Semplice, and Canta, who treat Syn with sympathy and respect.


	2. Negotiation

Negotiation

* * *

><p><em><strong>What creates hatred from one part to another? Does the fact that one's doctrine does not apply to another's actions? Does someone's beliefs contradict one's desires? Or is it personal? When you are hurt, you want to either strike back or stay down, all depending on one thing: Who were you hit by?<strong>_

Imagine putting every single unit of your existence into the sole purpose of doing something. And in the duration of that action, someone shows you up, surpassing your ability without the slightest sweat on their face.

That is my reaction when this being known as Forte cracked me like a wall while I ran away, huffing and puffing as much as I could with my sprained ankle. His intimidating form lay, wings flared out to further demonstrate that I was in no position to parley.

"What did you tell my sister?"

* * *

><p>"I don't like it," Cres muttered, "Syn is being too quiet about this."<p>

Cres shared a hollow, one of the largest in the area, with the rest of the Scarls. 5 orphans, Syn missing, making it 4, discussed their plans to bust their brother out of the confines of the Sanctuary. All of them, rather immature in stature but past their age in mind, bickered back and forth in to which would be the better plan.

"I say, 'Screw the Blues' and just ignore them until Syn is out of there."

"Nah, rumor is that the Ceruleans have Syn locked up tight in their own little corner of that pit, torturing the crap outta him. They don't deserve to get out of that without us doing anything."

"Now where'n a hell'ya gets that idea?"

"It's just word on the street, calm down. Don't be thinking we're just out to get them, even if we do hate 'em, there is a legitimate reason behind every punch we throw."

"Well, if Syn leaves that place with so much as a feather out of place of as I remember him having, those trashy snobs will be paying - starting with Legato."

"Yah! I hate that skimpy bird no matter what happens with Syn! He ain't as big on hatin' as the rest of us but he's still a Scarl!"

"I dunno about Syn though, he hasn't said much for a while."

"Enough about Syn, let's get back to the chase," Cres ordered.

"-Cut, to the chase," The youngest Scarl, Dese, corrected.

"What?"

"It's cut to the chase, not back to th-"

"Whatever, let's just see how we get Syn and see what happens, okay?"

"Don't pull a punch unless Syn makes it so?" Dees asked. A series of agreeing phrases and the matter was finished.

"That settles it then," Cres concluded, "Once Syn is out there, peacefully, we see if we need to do some roughing up. Agreed?" A group of yeses followed, which prompted the annoyingly persistant Dees to state another inquiry.

"Wait, what roughing up is you planning on doing this time? I mean, I honestly don't want to be part of anything more than a broken bone or two, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," Cres hid a mischievous grin and instead strapped on his straight sincere scowl. "I know a guy that knows how to... Make things happen."

"I don't like the sound of that," Dees sighed.

"Neither will Legato."

* * *

><p>Tulio, the most disturbed of humans at the moment, found temporarily sanctum every time he picked up a cup of coffee. Oh, how the warm liquid gracefully sashayed its way down his rough parchment of throat, he could feel the demands of the day melt back into the original goals that he had originally set. Oh, how problems always grew, no matter how efficiently and fluently he worked. That was just small fee for the job he desired. He loved his job; every second of it was completely revolved around the helping of birds, and their like.<p>

That is, until he turned the corner into his office.

Three of the Blu children, the other three back with their parents, and one scarlet macaw blocked the hall. The same scarlet, Tulio realized, who had been found several hours before with a broken wing.

The same scarlet who had been idly conversing with his most difficult patient yet, Canta.

This scarlet was about to be getting every single synonym for fecal matter, vulgarly profane or not, beat out of him.

Tulio, ever the thoughtful idiot, contemplated the situation.

1. Rescue Syn, and risk the wrath of the three near-adult macaws.

2. Let Syn get wrecked, and risk the wrath of his inner mind.

Tulio's morals outweighed three birds, and he dove into the fray quite literally and wrapped his arms protectively around Syn. Granted, the idea was much better in his head, and he misplaced his body and nearly crushed the crippled bird and banged his head on the floor. Shaking away the pain, he groaned and screamed in shock.

* * *

><p>"Pare! O que você está fazendo?"<p>

That was the last sound Syn heard clearly, due to Tulio roughly knocking him around, quite hard too, in the intent of protecting him from the nonexistent threat. He must've thought Forte and his siblings were attacking him!

If so, that would've been unfortunate, but that wasn't the case.

He wouldn't have been shocked if they wouuld pile him here, just to finish it. After all, he had just been seen conversing with Canta, right? And Canta was one of the Blu children... So...

"And what the heck is he doing out of his cage?" Tulio groaned, not caring about the Forte, Legato, and Allegro who were eyeing him in interest.

"These humans, they have very intriguing habits," Semplice observed, watching Tulio walk off, Syn looking just as confused as they were.

"Now, you three have a lot of explaining to do. WHY THE HELL DID YOU JUST TACKLE THAT BIRD?" Blu cried, as if contemplating the existence of life to God himself.

"He's one of the birds who were getting iffy with me," Legato explained, hiding the lie quite well. Even Canta almost seemed convinced.

"Syn wouldn't do that."

"What?" All 6 birds turned to Canta with a good follow-up.

Canta gulped, and breathing in deeply, continued. "He told me, that he has no interest in you, us, are any other of this 'trash,' as he describes it, and he would actually... well, he just decides that he's better off not associated with them at all."

"Then what the heck was he doing with them last night at the-" Legato stopped herself before she could hurt herself.

"At the what?" Jewel asked, her interest spiked by this new occurrence.

"See, yesterday," Legato thought quickly, the gears and wheels in her head spinning fast enough to formulate a legitimate lie, "As I was getting home from the bookstore, we ran into the Scarls, we being me and Al."

"Mmhm, and?" Canta asked, interested in this very much. Her sister has a very wily mind.

Legato shot a glare at Canta, but continued for the stories' sake. "Syn over there stepped on me deliberately, and well, I went a little far and broke the guy's wing. Never know is the guy wanted anything else from me…"

"How about his ankle?" Blu asked, believing this fully.

"He hurt it when he dropped out of the ventilation shaft," Canta concluded.

"Ah, so you do know what happened with the grate," Allegro chuckled. Blu and Jewel looked to each other as well, remembering 19 years ago how Blu met Jewel trying to escape out of that very grate. A small smile crept to their mouths.

"Well, I suppose we can... Settle, this with Syn when he allows. But right now, I don't want anything to happen to him, nor do I want anything to do with him, all right?" Jewel finished. A chorus of yes and okays followed, but Canta said nothing.

"Cantabile, how about you?"

"With all due respect Mom, Syn is stuck here for a while, and so am I."

"What are you hinting at?"

"Maybe I can learn about this 'Scarl and Cerul' thing, from ... his perspective."

"I don't like that. He can't be trusted," Allegro insisted. "The Scarl might as well lie to-"

"She wants to see this from **his** perspective," Semplice corrected.

"He can't really be understood, either. I'll... Negotiate with him. I'll play nice," Canta added, punctuating it with a girlish giggle.

"Fine," Jewel muttered. "But he so much as steps on the ground you just stepped in, I'm pulling you out." Canta smiled a little, a real genuine smile, one that melted the pain from her away. Just for a little while...

As her family walked off, she said her good byes to everyone, but held up the younger of the siblings, Semplice and Piano. Right as the older birds flew off at the door, Canta turned to her elder members of the lower triplet and paced thoughtfully.

"Wait, guys, I need your help with this."

"This is about Syn, isn't it?" Semplice asked with a sigh.

"Hey, I don't know why you guys hate him so much. He doesn't seem anything like the portrayal of Scarls I know."

"Well I don't know about Syn, but from what I've seen," Piano reasoned, "He isn't in his right mind."

"He did seem a little off in my enclosure," Canta added. "Follow me."

The three blue macaws, with Canta's knowledge around the place, opened up the aviary where Canta usually rested. Guiding them to the security cameras, Semplice retrieved a chip the mainframe and met up with Canta on her perch. Piano fell asleep, as it was night and he was bound, with Canta's plan at least, to stay a long time.

"If I remember correctly, Dad set up a wireless recording 'bug' so to speak, that gets every minute of every hour of this place. With this, I think I can prove everyone that Syn never hurt me, and then he'll be safe!" Semplice yawned and nodded unconsciously.

"I dunno why you even care for that bird... Not much you'll get out of him; he's a true-blue... no, red, Scarl."

"Well maybe he is, but I'll get the truth out of him nonetheless. Now come on and wake up Piano. We're gonna see if we can capture the time in which Syn came into my room."

* * *

><p>7:00, The Next Morning<p>

Syn woke up with a groan, having horrid nightmares about horrid topics. All in all, it was a good night. The sun woke him up abruptly, as because of the blinds being thrust open in the containment in an instant, as if someone just decided to kick the switch on the sun, blasting it's solar power upon poor Syn. Many empty cages lined Syn's room, and it appears he was the only bird to be in it. Must've been used as a storage place, probably out of safety for him. Pushing himself up, he groaned and shut his eyes again.

The cage floor wasn't the best sleeping surface, but it was dry, and it was clean.

He popped his eyes open, and with a yawn, contemplated his situation. Before he could so much as think about the deja vu he felt waking up like this, Tulio opened the door.

"I don't know what your name is, but right now, you're bird." Tulio had such a creative mind, Syn observed.

"And you have just come out of a very restless night, I presume?"

No.

"No doubt yes," Tulio drawled.

No.

"...And I assume your ankle and shoulder are feeling quite sore?" Syn flexed a little to-

FFFFUUUUUUU-

"Hmph, I suppose I was wrong, maybe you can be released back out there in a few weeks, Bird."

What the hell kind of doctor are you? Can you not see that-

A small blue form poked Tulio gently, and Tulio stopped to pick it up. Canta, freshly returned from opening the blinds in the Sancutary, eyed Syn coyly.

"You look like a million reais," Canta stated flatly.

"I can't tell," Syn replied, very annoyed at the traitorous interloper poking at him through the cage.

"Well, I'll tell you," Canta remarked smartly, "You look like my whole family just tackled you."

"Hmm, that's a creative statement, I wonder how that happened!" Syn yelled, rather pissed. Canta, now realizing what she mistook as playful banter was actually an enraged retort, she stepped back.

"Whoa, sorry, I never realized-"

"That I actually told you the truth? No, you automatically associate me wi..." The rest of this Canta didn't hear.

"Now, sarcasm isn't how-"

"Sarcasm? Your family beating me to the ground while you don't bat an eye isn't real enough for you? Why don't you just let me out of here and hop right into their nest? Huh?"

"Well, I um..."

"Leave, me, alone." Syn said this softly, as not to appear too angry. Just... pissed. Canta obliged, sulking away from Tulio and onto his computer, out of sight.

Syn sighed deeply. Her family had some real beef with him. And why? Because he was red, like his friends. He hung out with the same time bombs that he would be branded as when they weren't there. Where were those guys in the rare moments he needed them?

A squawk and Tulio shuffled drowsily over to the computer. After some muffled dialogue, he came back and promptly unlocked Syn's cage.

"Canta says she would like to talk to you, Bird," Tulio stated. Syn shook his head and lay down, facing the wall opposite Tulio and Canta.

Tulio left, but came back again.

"Canta says she would like to **help** you."

No. Tulio went back and forth, bringing new words.

"Canta says she **will** help you."

Syn sighed, and hobbling onto Tulio's outstretched arm, made his way to the computer. It seemed to be opened in some wording document, but only a few lines had been typed. Canta danced on the keys a little and Tulio squinted to look at what she typed.

"Syn is your name?"

Syn nodded slowly. Better than bird, he decided.

"And you need medical attention?"

"No," Syn whispered to himself, shaking his head.

"Canta says your wing is broken, which I know, but your ankle is sprained, you have multiple concussions, and, you look like crap." Canta giggled, but Syn hissed sharply and shut her up.

"Syn, can we please just talk?"

"No."

"I'd like to know why you're her-"

"Dang it, I said no already," Syn warned, which Tulio translated a bit harsher as he'd usually observed from him.

"-Why you don't want to be associated with the Scarls..."

Syn narrowed his eyes.

"...And why you cry in your sleep." Syn's eyes widened a little, interested by this information. There was no residue on his eyes when he woke up. Feeling his eyes, he confirmed his mind. But still, maybe…

"I... I do?"

"So, I'll see you in the aviary in 30 minutes?"

"Uh... I suppose. Yes."

"Okay!" Canta hopped away, her spirit excited. Syn watched slowly, shaking his head slowly. Letting out a slow sigh, he remembered Tulio had seen this whole thing.

"She is quite interesting, yes?"

No. Well, maybe.

* * *

><p>As par a previous plan, the remaining five Blu 'alumni' met up, discussing the growing issues with the Scarls.<p>

"Al, your fight is becoming everyone's. You got to resolve this!" Semplice cried, exasperated. "Look, Syn and Canta are getting hurt and you can't be sure Syn has any reason to hate us other than yesterday!"

"And I have another thing…" Forte muttered quietly, "It wasn't Syn who stepped on Legato."

"Who was it then?" Allegro inquired.

"Creseno."

* * *

><p>Tulio entered a code into the door allowing the Scarlet Macaw known as Syn into Canta's aviary. Hearing the door open, she immediately glided off her tree branch. However, she only pattered her feet a little, while Syn stared off into space, silent as ever.<p>

"..." Canta opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a dissapointedly empty sigh. Syn shuffled his claws in the fake dirt, changing his gaze to the wall. Canta finally shattered the silence and spoke timidly.

"Can you tell me about yourself?" Canta asked, starting off their conversation.

"How about I don't."

Again, it was quiet. Canta decided this was undesireable towards her attempts and spoke again.

"C'mon, you tell me you're gonna show up to talk with me and here you are, yet you're as quiet as the morgue."

"I said that I would meet you here, nothing in that said I was willing to talk."

"Then why would you come to here in the first place?"

"Because I like to be cooperative."

"And why would you d-"

"My plan was to shut you up, but apparently no amount of willful bargaining from you will do that."

Canta smiled a little, and Syn stared at her confused. His snide remark was intended to hurt her, but strangely the blue bird found humor in this.

"Well, I suppose when your surrounded by grumpy injured birds all your life, no amount of mean chat can faze you anymore!"

"You were here your whole life?" Syn asked, interested in her story more than he was telling his.

"Every day since... Hmm, give or take 15 years."

"And you're fifteen," Syn inferred flatly. Canta nodded.

"So, I tell you my prologue, now you tell me yours."

"I would hardly say that was a fitting introduction," Syn protested.

"No. I was just getting you to talk a little," Canta retorted with a succesful look on her grin. Syn sighed, but smiling a little at Canta's efforts, made an effort to start.

"Well, I suppose I'm your cliche Rio orphan. Parents poached before I was hatched, and then the same-old-same-old until you see me now, associated with the Scarls you Ceruls so despise."

"But why do you stay with them?"

"Because I have no choice. Even if I wanted to run solo, I can't step an inch without getting half the Rio community on me. Scarls are apparently the more hostile of the two of the Rio bird gangs, as they call it. Us Scarls being one, and you Ceruls being the other. They led me to believe that you Ceruls were pretty vicious too, and your big three proved that to me yesterday and the day before. At least, when I'm with a group, I have a sense of security, you know?"

"Like a family?"

"No. We're not close. Definitely me, I'm the quiet one. But, we are a group. We starve as a group. We laugh as a group. We take the Cerul heat as a group."

"I suppose I understand," Canta muttered, "But what I don't get is why my brother's gang sees you as a threat."

"Like I said, we share our delinquent notoriety as a group. One of us causes trouble, we all cause trouble were we there or not."

"But were it your choice, you wouldn't be a Scarl?"

"Were it my choice, I would be born blue like the rest of you fortunates."

"I wouldn't consider my situation 'fortunate.'"

"A strong family, three meals a day, a roof over you head," Syn sighed in thoughtful fantasy, "I don't care how many enemies I need to make to get to that place."

"Then, to be there, can you cope with the eternal agony of sickness and disease?"

"Sleeping on cold, wet floors. Tiredly scrounging the dumps for any morsel of edible trash that is semi-consumeable?" Canta shook her head.

"Having your feathers fall out like cancer. Internal bleeding from random places at random times. At times, it feels like I'm breaking my spine every time I try to lie down. It keeps me up for weeks on end. When I finally sleep, it is tumultous and light. I wake up feeling worse than ever. The only way time I feel well is after a surgery, where the humans cut into me to take out the junk from my diseased body. Does that sound like something you would trade your freedom with?"

"Freedom, I don't see any freedom from my life."

"You, Syn, can walk up to any tree you want, and dive right off the branch. You can spread your wings and fly, savor the warm air outside. You have the choice of friends. All I have is my family. I so much as go outside, I contract a bunch of diseases and all this other junk that I have to add to my list."

"But how then, do you manage every day?"

"I don't Syn. This crap is terminal. I keep a positive face for my family, but the moment I leave, the smile turns upside-down and it's 24/7 of this bull I have to put up with. Do you want that?"

"That dog you were with."

"Dominick? He's my only friend here I guess," Canta thought about the dog, whom she hadn't seen in a while.

"Tell me Canta, one thing."

"What?"

"What do I have to prove to your family, to convince them that I am not a Scarl?"

"I don't know," Canta admitted. Syn sighed in defeat.

"Then I'm supposing it's done."

"What is?" Canta asked, confused at Syn's sudden change of mood. One second he was the pissy quiet bird, but now, he was getting soft.

"Your family wants nothing more than to finish my misery. Once I heal, I'm done."

"You can prove yourself somehow! Just... Umm..." Syn looked at her hopefully, but she remained in thought.

"Any answer seems good right now. Anything that can get them off me just a little longer."

"You can... I don't know, it might not work..."

"What? What!" Syn pleaded.

"Might sound cheesy, but just being a friend to me might ease their assumptions about you," Canta offered. Syn groaned.

"You hate me, don't you? Why else did you rat me out yesterday?"

"I think you're one shy Scarl, were you ever one."

"Okay fine. I'll be your friend, on the grounds that you tell every single bit of truth to them. I don't want them to think that I'm out to hurt you okay?"

"Why would you do that?"

"Start by telling your family this: We- no, they, Scarls want nothing but to hurt every single last one of you until they are the ones on top, while you guys, I can't believe I'm admitting this, switch places with us in society."

"I believe you, and you'll be sure I'll tell them what a friend you can be, okay? Just enough with the shy stuff and open up."

"I've opened up quite enough to you, thanks."

"I'm just getting warmed up to you, friend."

* * *

><p>"It… It was?" Legato asked, feeling remorseful.<p>

"Yes. I talked with Deres last night. He was asking me what happened with Syn."

"Well… I know as a fact Dese isn't as hating of us as Cres, but, hmm, you can't entirely believe that they aren't just covering for their friend."

"If Syn doesn't want to be associated with the Scarls at all, I don't know why, but remember: You broke Syn's wing, no matter who stepped on you."

"He does seem like something other than a Scarl," Legato admitted.

"Canta has reasonable motives to learn from him."

"Then it's settled then?" Piano asked.

"What's settled?"

"Syn is a good guy."

"There are no good guys and bad guys, only the ones we like and those we don't. Once Canta tells us about him tonight, we'll see if he deserves our respect or not," Allegro finished. "You guys are free to go."

They all flew away except Semplice.

"Need anything Sis?"

"I'm worried about Canta. Syn seems like a good guy, but once the Scarls hear about this, it won't be going well for her. I know Cres and his group aren't exactly as shy as Syn seems. Syn, I don't even know what to place that guy as."

"Then maybe..." Allegro seemed deep in thought, then spoke up again. "... I'll talk to them. Me and Legato will. I think it's high time to end this, before things get past a few broken wings."

* * *

><p>"A few broken wings isn't enough," Cres declared, gesturing grandly with his wings. "These Ceruls, they have locked up Syn in their so called 'Sanctuary,' their supposed place of solitude. But from what I've seen yesterday, they are torturing him! I saw Forte tackle him, and Syn was already limping and wearing a cast! This a drastic deed, which makes this a drastic time." The other birds, still rather drowsy from being hastily aroused, only nodded in unconscious agreement.<p>

"And drastic times call for drastic measures," Cres continued, only to be cut off by Dese.

"Isn't it desperate times call for drastic measures?"

"No, I'm pretty sure it was drastic times and drastic measures," Cres corrected, thoughtfully pondering the meaning of either statement.

"Actually," Dese offered, "Drastic times call for desperate measures." Cres nodded, agreeing fully.

"Yes, anyway... They have decided to escalate their methods, and so shall we."

"What are you suggesting?" One of the older Scarls asked, intrigued by this.

"My contact from Sao Paulo, Nigel, has offered us his assistance, in return that we succesully capture either Blu, Jewel, or one of their children. This, I believe, is well within our reach of ability, is it not?"

"Why do we need Nigel's help? And why would we need him when we can already kidnap them?" Cres facepalmed, causing the owner of the question, Dese, to back up in innocent confusion.

"Well, for one, he has personal beef wit' the Ceruls, long before the kids were there. If we can take out the Ceruls from here, we can finally have the same oppurtunity for a happy life that they did! They lived as kings, and we were scrounging in our slums! We shouldn't kill them, of course, but if we get this job done, they'll be nipping scraps at our claws!"

This scheme, following in the goal of many others before it, fell upon deaf ears to the group. But, as their situation didn't allow for any alternative, it was decided.

The game was afoot.

* * *

><p>Hey guys! Synkity (LOL .) here, finally updating my crap. I'm hoping to develop Syn and Canta's character while at the same time, depict the struggle between Scarls and Ceruls.<p>

Syncopation is the method of abrubt and usually unexpected occurences in music. Syn might just be showing some unexpected flares of personality soon.

Cres, short for Cresen which is taken from Crescendo, the operation in which the volume of a sound gets louder and louder, would be a fitting personality for Cres. As the situation grows, so does the strength of his personality. Also, he will be the antagonist, you spoiler cravers.

Desen, Decrescendo, will be the opposite of him. As the fight grows, he will get softer and softer, maybe making some choices that will affect the whole story.

And welcome Nigel back into the picture.

* * *

><p>Update v.1<p>

Added some more dialogue and location descriptions.


	3. Affection

AN: If it is alright, I'm including other's OC's in various chapters of my fic starting from here on out. Not as major roles, but just my own little way of tipping my imaginative hat to them, nothing story dependent, just bystanders that create conversation and such. (Actually filling in words since I'm out of ideas haha.) Next chapter will have EmmerzK's Riley and Ellie in it, as they are OC's of my favoritest Nico fics :D Also, Ted Wakeman's Bobby and Wally will be joining in as well! So, forgive the rude intrusion, but thanks for your contribution!

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><p>Affection<p>

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><p><strong><em>There is a saying, it takes Two to Tango. Well, in Brazil, it takes Several to Samba. People get drawn into punches they can't avoid and punches they don't want to pull. But things must happen if time goes forward. That is what hate creates. Progress.<em>**

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><p>The sun cast its' head upon Rio once again, illuminating the city against the backdrop of an overcast morning. As the light banished the shadows where it could reach, blinds were opened in the Sanctuary as Canta hummed through her routine. Finally reaching Syn's impromptu home, she knocked lightly three times and waited for its sole inhabitant to wake up. She giggled to herself as she recalled last night's events. She had finally gotten Syn to talk a little but then he (without explanation) slumped to the floor and was in a rather odd sleep. To make things worse, her parents entered the sanctuary, causing her to uncerimoniously leave him in another aviary, in the good intention that he slept away from her. Remembering her elaborate plans for the day, which revolved around her new friend, she knocked again, calling loudly for the scarlet macaw.<p>

"Wake up call, Syn! C'mon, help me out here."

Syn once again woke up with a groan, but instead of a frown, he simply sighed in content. He wasn't sore for once, and his head feathers weren't ruffled from his sleep. His dreams were oddly pleasant, and embarrassingly about his new azure acquaintance in the sanctuary. He had to hand it to her; this room, similar in appearance to Canta's aviary, was a much better sleeping place than the cage. While it wasn't real, it felt comfortable. Perhaps the fact that Blu and Jewel had mated in the other room, thus producing the first of six children, had been wisely left out by Canta. Had it been slipped out, Syn's sleep would have been a little less heavy to begin with. As that wasn't the case, Syn probably had the first 'good night' that his life had experienced.

"Must you yell…" Syn grumbled as he opened the door slowly, greeted with the bright face of Canta. He smiled, just a little.

"You're a really heavy sleeper. Consider yourself lucky I'm still strong enough to drag you across the Sanctuary and back into this room."

"Why does that make me lucky?"

"Because, after you fell asleep in my room, I had to haul serious tail feathers dragging you into this room before my parents and siblings came back to check on me." Syn straightened a little, crossing his wings, at least his good one, defiantly.

"And that is a bad thing?"

"For me, yes! You're such a darn heavy sleeper; you were out! You didn't so much as groan when I rolled you down the stairs." Syn frowned in disbelief, his humoristic smile melting away.

"And here I was thinking we were going to be great friends." Canta shrugged with a smile.

"I do what I please."

"Well, what did you tell my family?" Syn asked, rubbing the gunk out of his eyes.

"_Your_ family?" Canta inquired, smiling at his slip of tongue.

"I-uh, well…"

"I just told them that you are, despite your Scarl appearance, a nice person."

"That's it?"

"That's all you showed me yesterday," Canta replied with a shrug.

"I don't cry in my sleep," Syn brought up.

"You did the day you came, but last night, I don't know why, but you were dead pretty much. You get tired fast, no?" Syn thought a little, wondering if he could remember last night.

"I'm not sure... "

"Whatever. Perhaps my friendly aura provides a soothing effect on your otherwise tumult-"

"No."

"Grumpy as usual, pff. Syn, c'mon, how is my family gonna like you if you keep frowning like that, especially since they now know you're **such a good friend**?"

"Oh, like you have an excuse to... Wait-"

"Yep, I **do** have an excuse, whilst you, my friend, do not."

"You did tell them that I was **trying** to be friendly?"

"The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," Canta assured.

"I regret, you did forget to tell them that I'm a heavy sleeper," Syn added with a slight smile.

"What's this? Is the shy Syn cracking his first joke?"

"You never stop talking," Syn groaned.

"I just got you to start talking," Canta retorted.

"Whatever. What does the Sanctuary need help with?"

"I suppose Tulio will be here within the hour. Want to see Dominick?"

"The dog? N-no. I'm err… Allergic!"

"Oh please, you're just scared."

"Scared? You challenge my bravery?" Syn responded with a puffed chest and grim composure.

"I suppose. I never considered you street-smart Scarls to be the _**wimpy **_ type." Syn looked at her shocked.

"_**WIMPY?**_ Fine. Let's see this Dominick." Canta giggled at this unseen side side of Syn. Syn just looked forward with a stoic face.

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><p>But as Blu looked through the security cameras, he could almost see the hesitation, obviously from his bravado, in his eyes. Tulio turned to him, a smirk on his face.<p>

"Looks like your daughter made a friend." Blu dashed to the keyboard and began to type, as efficient as a human hand.

_My other children do not trust him. So far, I haven't seen a single reason to justify their assumptions. I took the liberty in watching through their little conversation, at least fast forwarding through. No hostility, just a bunch of shyness, apprehension, the typical 'I just met you and this is crazy, but get the hell away from me,' kind of conversation. You do know about this 'Scarl and Cerul' issue, right?_

"I know the relative reasons why this little territorial dispute is happening, but the only visual confirmation I've seen is the number of Hyacinth and Scarlet injuries in the past weeks."

_If I know anything about it, this isn't a territorial dispute. This is a personal issue, for reasons not even my children, Allegro to be specific, do not know about. I find this rather discouraging._

"You'll have to tell me more about this dispute," Tulio scratched his chin thoughtfully, picking at the stubble that he had grown fond of.

_My main concern is Cantabile, but with Syn, I feel a strange connection between them, as if Canta was closer to him than any other of her siblings, even though she had only spent 8 hours with Syn._

"Syn… He is a very shy bird. What I've seen right now, what probably was a childhood of solitude has been melted in a few moments. I can assume you know this interaction more than I do, but I saw only friendliness from him."

_I watched the recordings from last night, and I didn't see a single form of hostility from Syn, but he does have quite a grouchy attitude, for one._

"He is very uncomfortable around you blue macaws. After all, your children did tackle the heck out of him yesterday."

_You are correct, for once._

"Ha. Shut up Blu."

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><p>"Dominick, you here?" Canta called out, entering an oddly dimmed hallway. Canta hit the switch, and was immediately greeted with a Labrador to the back. Seeing Dominick tackling her, Syn yelped and attacked Dominick as best as he could with his broken wing.<p>

"Get offa her! Ngh!" Dominick batted away Syn with his paw, making him skid across the tile, then proceeded to lick the giggling Canta like he had been just a few moments before.

"Oh my gosh, ha ha!" Canta sheepishly pushed away the dog, then, still laughing, sat down next to the dazed Syn.

"You thought Dominick was attacking me," Canta thought aloud. Syn only mumbled incoherently, sitting up slowly. Dominick growled, seeing the red (grey to his colorblind eyes) bird as a threat to his avian friend.

"Stay Dominick, he… He's a friend."

"Yah…" Syn assured.

"Well, aren't you going to do something Syn?"

"Do what?"

"Can't you say sorry?"

"Sorry."

"Not to me, silly, to Dominick."

"I'm Sorry, Dominick."

"Pet him," Canta commanded gruffly.

"Oh heck no! I have a **very** bad history with dogs and the sort."

"Pet him," Canta repeated, stern.

"Why?"

"Because… Um... You're my friend?"

"And how does that help me in the long run?"

"Dominick is my friend as well. Perhaps being a friend with him might in the long run…" She let Syn filled in the rest in his head.

"Oh fine…" Tip toeing over to the Labrador, he gulped as the dog eyed him very carefuly as he got closer and closer. He reached his good wing out and then-

A horrid noise filled the air, one of utmost pain and agony. The noise would have deafened the banshees and sirens of old with its' torment.

That was the sound that Syn made when Dominick nipped his primaries and licked him from toe to head.

Canta shuddered for a second, and then giggled even more.

"See, he likes you! _I guess..._"

"Engh, gross..." Syn mumbled, flailing his wings about as far as the cast would allow.

Dominick woofed softly, and then eyeing Canta and Syn, brought them together roughly with his paws. Syn struggled a bit and pushed off of Canta, even though his wing wasn't in any jeopardy. Nervously fidgeting, one bird in a cast and sling while the other was still wrapped in post-surgical bandages, were squeezing closer and closer together by the dog's tight grip. As they were trapped adjacent to each other, the labrador took a step back and eyed the situation. Canta read the canine's eyes, reading what the dog was thinking.

_He likes you._

And Canta was pretty sure he wasn't talking about Syn's opinion towards Dominick, but towards her.

_He likes me?_

She shook it off like an insult, they had only known each other for a day!

Then again, her parents had the exact same time limit with their relationship, and look how they turned ou-

_No. Shut up. Your brothers will hate you. Your sisters will hate you. Mom and Dad will definitely not approve. Rio will hate you. Syn will-_

"Hey, you there?"

"W-w-what?"

"You seemed a little stunned for a minute, did Dominick hurt you?"

"Nah, it's okay Syn, it's just-"

"Syn?" Canta turned to her newest companion, a blue macaw just like her. From the dark indigo of her feet, blending to a lavenderish teal near her eyes, she recognized her oldest sister, Legato, adressing her with confused shock.

"Legato! What are you-"

"Just saying that we, we being Forte and I, are going to have a talk with **your**," Pointing at Syn with an accusing finger, "Buddies. I don't want Cantabile or anyone else getting hurt from what **your **frie-" She was interrupted rather rudely from Syn.

"I don't know what your deal is, but if you want my apology, then have it; I'm sorry. I admit, I did step on your tail, and maybe that did irritate you. But believe me, I had no intention to harm you, to disturb you, or any other trash that might be assumed. I won't be mad that you broke my wing, maybe you were defending yourself. But in no way, shape, or form, will I be associated with those Scarls, and what you think they stand for!" Syn took a breath, and sighing, sat down with a timid look on his face. Canta looked at Legato with an assuring face, but she shook her head. Syn sighed and started walking away, unnoticed by Canta. He could still hear Legato's response as he exited, though.

"I'll accept that apology, but don't you dare pull any jazz with my sister. You do, and you'll be wishing you didn't have any wings to break."

"Oh, trust me, friends will be friends," Canta blurted.

"Canta, I wouldn't trust him if my life depended on it." With that, she flew away, no doubt in search for the rest of her family that would be showing up shortly.

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><p>"What was that about?" Tulio wondered aloud.<p>

_Legato, ever the hot head... Hmm, Syn did seem sincere with that apology. I wonder why she's still mad..._

Blu sighed, hopping off the keyboard and exiting, deciding that a talk with Syn would be beneficial. That could wait though, as his primary concern were the canaries that had visited the Sanctuary, one specifically named Nico, and his family.

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><p>Canta looked for Syn, but couldn't find him anywhere. After his fight with Legato, he had walked off with a frustrated expression upon his closed eyes, while Canta thought about the situation. Now she lost track of him, and he could be anywhere in the seemingly endless hallways and closets. Even with her knowledge around the place, there were many of hiding places (not that he would be hiding) to conceal yourself in.<p>

Canta closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she needed to focus. Why didn't Legato trust Syn yet? He had been every bit of a first-day friend as he could, and he enjoyed her company- no... He accepted her company. As she did to him, Canta admitted. Pacing about, her attention was drawn towards the falling of cages. 4 of them, two unlocked, and the others locked with the standard bolt that she had learned to get out of easily. If her keen hearing served her correctly, at least. She high-fived herself in advance in the likely case that she was correct.

It was coming from the medical closet, and her guesses were reaffirmed when a piercing yell punctuated the drop of the cages.

Sprinting now, she leaned around the corner to see Syn in a heap with bits of cage in a circle around him. He was panting with adrenaline, but fell onto his face with frustration. He lay there, beak to the ground like road kill, until he could feel Canta's presence in his peripherals.

"Excuse the mess, but I'm genuinely angry right now."

"I can tell."

"With a broken wing, I'm surprised you downed four cages off their chains."

"I'll say it again, I'm sorry."

"I understand-"

"Do you? Do you understand a sibling, whom you've known for life, having no respect for someone just because of an event in the past?"

"That's how she ticks, Syn. I had to learn that when I was little."

"Yah, well... Ugh. What to do, she doesn't want me near you when you're the only way that I can earn trust from you or your family and-"

"Syn! Dangit you're thinking about this way too much!"

"And you're caring about this too little!"

"My family isn't important! My main concern, like it or not, is to get you out of here alive and safe!" Syn paused, but striked back.

"Is your life in Jeopardy, Canta? If I so much as look at your footstep wrong..."

"My life is in as much deep water as yours Syn. If I so much as breathe the air from a wrong place..."

"But-"

"But remember, please, I'm your friend in this. I wouldn't hurt you, and if you get in harms way, I'll promise you that I'll be right behind you. This isn't an act, Syn. I'm going to be your friend whether you want to return the feeling or not, and I'll do anything, and everything a friend would do."

"Will you," Syn grumbled, unmoved.

"What else will I do when I'm stuck in here with you?" Canta smiled, forcing a smaller one onto Syn's beak. "Now come on, we have a Sanctuary to help. You in?" She extended a wing, offering a hand to a currently crestfallen Syn. Pulling him up, Canta exerted a little more strength than she thought she estimated would be necessary, causing Syn to stumble onto her, as par her plan. Canta finally did something she had only done to her family before.

Syn felt two angelic wings, still wrapped in medical tapes, wrap around his body, and Canta's head nestled against his neck, a warm smile on her face, eyes closed. She giggled silently as his heart rate pounded and increased in speed, enough for her to feel it.

"Uhh." His own wings hung limp down his side, but Canta just hung on to him. This was a hug, he realized. A gesture shown when one party wanted to empart relief, companionship, and affection to another, more depressed, individual. And generally, the latter figure hugged in return. He shivered a little in fright, but his good wing began to lift upwards.

Canta smiled as a hesitant wing wrapped across her shoulder and nuzzled snugly against her back. His sigh wasn't one of frustration, but of content. He smiled, resting his head on Canta's, as it was the only presumable spot he could figure.

"So," she began, "Can you help me?"

"Yes," Syn whispered, liking the feel of an embrace. It felt... Good. Something he had never realized existed in his life.

"Uhh, let go then," Canta giggled, pushing off gently. "We'll start... with Blu."

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><p>"Canta seemed to be okay with it, and Syn is willing to make good on it. I'm not going to trust him just yet though," Allegro thought about Legato's report, and with a sigh, flew up randomly. Legato followed, and after a few minutes of flying, she could tell they were flying towards the coastline of Rio, specifically towards a sandbar where their parley had been agreed to the night before. Three specks of red could be seen, with no one else in near proximity.<p>

"Are you sure about this, I mea-"

"I'll make this good, for all of us. For Canta... C'mon." He landed, and was soon acknowledged by Cres and Dese and the last bird who simply sat and stared towards Rio for anyone else.

"I never figured Legato would be joining our soiree," Cres said, naturally suave with his words.

"With the three of you, I only guessed not to bring my own guys, but my family. This is about them, not us."

"Ah, yes, your family. Now where is mine?"

"What do yo-"

"Syn! Where is he?"

"Oh, he's in the Sanctuary, healing the broken wing **_I _**inflicted," Legato admitted.

"Which is the same Sanctuary, whose tapes depicted our own Syn being tackled by you, you, and Forte?"

"Well, it was a misunderstanding," Legato blurted, shocked by their knowing of the situation. "We saw him with our sister-"

"Canta? Ah yes, yes. I'm very sure that issue was resolved quite some time ago."

"Actually it is. However, I don't know why you still want him. He seems to have every interest to not be associated with you."

"Do not change the subject, Allegro. This is about your family, and mine. Not their motives."

"Psh, I would doub-" Allegro stopped himself before he insulted the bond of the Scarls. "Doubt that... uhh... he is in good condition to return right now."

"Because you hurt him. Again."

"Yes, I'm sorry for that. But, uhh, if you'll kindly lay off our family at le-"

"Kindly is not in our agenda." Cres lifted his wing up dramtically. "NIGEL!" A box, previously unregarded by anyone, was flipped, revealing a white cockatoo with a sinistar on his face. Flying faster than the eye could see, he swooped right above them, grabbing each by the neck and tossing them into a burlap sack. Knocked out from the impact, Allegro and Legato were helplessly dragged away by their family's long sworn enemy.

Nigel.


End file.
